Summary: Where the train just won't fucking work.

Polnareff knew he was fucked.

He knew it as soon as Jotaro got up and left the cart they were in to find a place to smoke, leaving him alone with Kakyoin. They weren't technically alone, Joseph was sleeping in the set across from him but he was knocked out cold. Thankfully, Avdol had gone to get some fresh air a little while back. He knew what she was going to ask, he saw it in that creepy smile she gave him at the hospital, the same smile she is giving him now. Although the red head was usually reserved he knew that she could weasel out information she needed to get her way.

She sat there with her drawing book in hand and the most innocent smile, it almost had him fooled.

"Soooo, Polnareff." She sat upright and placed her book and pencil down on the table, her whole demeanor dripping with exaggerated elegance. "Is there something you aren't telling me? You know you can tell me anything," she said, a soft smile rested on her face and she leaned in. It had reminded him of Sherry. His heart ached.

"No," he said firmly. He crossed his arms and angled himself away from the girl.

"I see… alright then, I guess you aren't in the mood to talk. That's fine, we can do it later," she said with a knowing smirk. She leaned back on her chair and opened her drawing book again. He sat there expecting the question he knew was coming, but the minutes passed and Kakyoin said nothing. Jotaro and Avdol had come back at this point and Joseph was already making a ruckus about the two trashed hotel rooms. He kept stealing glances at her to see if she would make a move but she paid him no attention, she was either busy sketching the landscape or talking to Jotaro. He didn't have time for all of this, he needed to find Sherry's killer, not discuss his possible crush he had for the dark man in front of him. He wasn't the type of guy that cared for the long term, he lived for now. If he liked someone he wouldn't complicated it, they would fuck and that was that. He's had a relationship here and there but they never meant much to him. After Sherry's death he lost himself, drinking and fucking till he blurred time and waking up in a ditch somewhere was his norm. He was always very open with his sexuality to a point that he made sure that it was a statement, this had gotten him in a lot of trouble even in a place like France. It wasn't until recently that he found information about Sherry's murderer, the news had been strong enough to shake him out of his cycle. A few months later he's on a train going to Calcutta with a group of people he barely knew.

All was fine until dark and handsome decided to step into his life. At first all he did was flirt with the man, trying in any way possible to get in his pants. When that proved unsuccessful he decided to move on, the problem was that it was easier said than done. He didn't think about it much then but he started to lose interest with most of the strangers he flirted with at an alarming speed, he only realized his feelings after Avdol's constant hospital visits. All it took was a few sweet words and a bit of concern and it had him blushing like a virgin, and it just so happens that the red head was there to see it all unravel. He didn't know how to feel about this realization but he didn't want to think about it too much, he had other things to worry about. Once they reach Calcutta he would look for Sherry's killer on his own, it's better that way. That is, if he could survive this trip.

That was already hard enough.

"Oi Polneraff, are you paying attention?" Joseph was showing Avdol his notebook containing emergency contacts to the speedwagon foundation. "You should know these numbers, you're the one that attracts trouble the most."

He shuddered at the thought of the SpeedWagon hospital.

"I wouldn't want to go near those freaks again."

"Polneraff, the foundation has been the one to provide us with all the necessary expenses for our travels," Avdol pointed out, "and one of the reasons why you left the hospital in such short notice."

"Still..." he grumbled. He would rather be left in a normal hospital for six months than go through one of their tests again, but he didn't want to argue with Avdol. He knew that he was right.

The clicking sound of the speaker interrupted the group's conversation. The tension in the air quickly grew as they exchanged knowing glances at each other.

The speaker screeched words in Mali and Bangali before speaking in broken english. "We will be taking a shortstop before continuing our destination. Thank you." The speaker clicked again indicating the end of the message.

The group quickly huddled together.

"Could it be?!…" Joseph exclaimed

"It could..." Avdol agreed

"But where?!…" Kakyoin proposed

"But we just!..." Polneraff moaned

"Good grief..." Jotaro said

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions." It was obvious Avdol was trying to reassure them. "Stops on long train rides in this part of the world are common." He looked at every one of them and he lingered on Polneraff. "We just have to be careful, no one is to leave alone. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The tension didn't dispel after that, they sat there eyeing every movement and flinching at every sound that was made. The heavy weight of dread spread through the air around them as they waited for what was to be expected.

It wasn't until Jotaro stood up that the heavy silence broke.

"This is stupid," she says, agitation creeping into her voice. "I'm going out for a smoke."

Kakyoin immediately got up. "I'll go with you, I need some fresh air."

As both teens left, the heaviness of the air grew and in the distance the sound of thunder could be heard.

Kakyoin was exhausted. What exhausted her wasn't her body but the impending doom she felt every passing minute. She had meant it when she said she needed air, but she doubted it would have calmed her nerves. Jotaro was leaning against the rail of the train smoking her cigarette. Her hand was holding on to the metal with enough tension that it could snap. She wondered if the cigarette was actually doing anything to calm her nerves.

Gracefully, Jotaro pulls out the half smoked cigarette from her lips and throws it on the floor. She scowls at it as if it hadn't done it's job right. She takes a deep breath and leans her back on the railing, looking over the scenery with weary eyes. They were half way to Calcutta now and the plants grew wilder and wilder the farther away they went from civilization. They were so far into the jungle now that if Kakyoin wanted to she could reach towards the leaves of the trees surrounding them. The trees grew everywhere. In every direction she looked all she could see was green, it was a miracle that the vines haven't taken over the tracks yet.

She wondered what it would look like from above. Without putting too much thought into it she called out for Hierophant.

"Oi, Kakyoin, what are you doing?"

But before she could respond, Hierophant's tendrils wrapped around the nearest tree and swung her upwards. A giggle escaped her as she felt her feet leave the metal floor and land on the tree branch, she'd been so stressed lately that she forgot how much she loved swinging around with Hierophant.

The sea of green was breathtaking, framed by the grey of the sky. At the height she was at she could cup the heavy rain clouds with her bare hands if she stood on her toes. The grey skyline only emphasized the color of the forest.

"Hey Hiero, what do you think of this? Isn't it beautiful, it kinda reminds me of your emeralds." She could feel her stand purring in agreement. A smile tugged at her lips.

"Kakyoin!" Jotaro was shouting at the top of her lungs. She looked so small down there.

"Hey Jotaro, you should come take a look at this, it's beautiful up here!" She was pretty enthusiastic about her find.

Jotaro jumped off the train with one graceful motion, summoned Star and started to climb the tree. Kakyoin, not wanting to wait, decided to wrap Hierophant's tendril around Jotaro and pull her up in one quick motion.

When Jotaro finally reached the top her eyes were wide with surprise, her hat twisted at an odd angle "Don't ever do that again unless I tell you to, you got that?" she growled with no real malice.

Kakyoin suppressed a giggle at the girl's disheveled state. "I'm sorry, you were taking too long, so I thought, why not help?"

Jotaro huffed at her and pulled her hat down.

"Look, Jotaro, isn't it beautiful?" Kakyoin said.

"It is." Jotaro replied

A few moments passed in silence as they stared at the scenery in front of them. In the far distance she could see two monkeys chasing each other from one tree to the next.

Her attention was turned back to Jotaro when she heard the clicking of the lighter.

"It's been stressful these days," Kakyoin said, eyeing the cigarette while Jotaro put it to her lips and puffed it out. The stream of smoke swayed and merged with the clouds above.

"It has," was all Jotaro said.

"Is the cigarette helping?" she asked.

"No," she replied.

Kakyoin decided that that was enough beating around the bush. "Jotaro, is something bothering you?"

She peered at her from under her hat. "What isn't," she said.

"Right, that was a stupid question." Clearly the girl didn't want to talk. Kakyoin huffed and looked back at the forest in front of her.

A few more minutes passed in silence, but it wasn't the comfortable silence that they shared moments ago. It was tension filled, heavy with unspoken words. Kakyoin was about to suggest they head back before it started to rain when Jotaro finally spoke.

"I heard the call Gramps got from the SpeedWagon Foundation, mom isn't doing too good and dad hasn't even called home once to check on her." She was not facing her but Kakyoin could see underneath her cap her eyes were distant. "At least he would have the decency to fucking call." She took another pull from her cigarette.

She didn't know what to say. She had never seen Jotaro's dad, she had known he existed in some form or another but never thought of it much. All this time Jotaro carried the burden of her mother, she could only imagine the pain she had to endure knowing that every wasted minute was robbing her of the little time she had. She stayed silent hoping that it would encourage her to continue.

"It's stupid anyway. I never understood why she let that shit happen. Whenever he came home she would smile and laugh as if he hadn't left us for years. She'd get me so mad, so fucking mad, she's everything I never wanted to be. She's the good housewife that wouldn't stand up for herself, that wouldn't fucking say shit if you called her a bitch to her face." Her voice was shaking as she spoke, the anger was obvious from the way she spoke but Kakyoin felt that there was something else. Resentment? Fear? No, regret. Jotaro stopped to take a drag from her cigarette, Kakyoin couldn't help but notice her hand shook slightly. She was watching the distance with sharp focus so she wouldn't make eye contact with Kakyoin. A few minutes had passed when she spoke again.

"The last thing I called her was a bitch…" Her hand clutched the cigarette as if it were her life line. "I keep thinking about it alot… if that's the last thing she would hear from me. I'd wonder if she would actually be mad at me or if she would take it like she always has." She searched for her cigarette only to find it's crushed ashes in her hand. A look of annoyance flashed across her face as she stared at the crumpled piece of paper and tobacco.

"Is it fair of me to say that I regret it now when I know I can't change the past? Is this punishment for all I've said to her?"

"No," Kakyoin said, she couldn't dare to look at her when she knew how vulnerable she was. "This isn't your fault, it never was and it never will be…" she took a deep breath. "I … make mistakes too, we all do. Some of the decisions I made still haunt me and I have to live with them." She didn't know what she was saying anymore. Her hands clutched to her skirt, she could feel her palms dampen with sweat. "But that doesn't mean I can't continue to try and make it right. It's not too late to fix things. You can still make it right Jotaro, don't lose sight of that."

Her face started to heat with realization. What had she said? Did she even make sense? Of course she didn't, she just let words tumble out of her without thinking. Jotaro hasn't responded. Had she overstepped her boundaries?

"Thanks," Jotaro said. Kakyoin could feel her shifting to stand. "I needed that". She pocketed the crumbled cigarette and tilted her cap to look at Kakyoin. It was the first time they made eye contact since they started talking. The haze that was once in her eyes was gone and replaced with solidity and certainty, and she knew she had come to a conclusion.

"So," Jotaro continued, "did you want to paint this or something?" She jerked her head towards the scenery in front of them. The comment made Kakyoin jungle laid before them with a ferocity she could never replicate through art. Its shades of green and brown a collage of hues and tones so rich her eyes hurt, her brain couldn't process it all. The grey clouds began to rumble above them building up static and the wind brought the smell of rain with it.

"No," she replied. "I forgot to bring my sketch book." She stood up and adjusted her knee-length skirt. Her black stockings have already started to rip from the back of her leg. "I just wanted to share this with you."

She didn't need to see to know that Jotaro was smiling. In that moment, with her, she never felt more alive.

The girls were taking too long and Polneraff was getting worried. Avdol's buddy system seemed like a good idea at the moment but now he wondered if it would actually work. This god damn train is taking it's sweet ass time stopping in the middle of fucking nowhere where they could easily be attacked, killed and thrown in to the forest for the maggots to eat. The girls' lateness was just adding to his anxiety.

"They're fine," Avdol said as if he was listening to the conversation he was having in his mind.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Most of the time," he said, an amused smile playing on his lips.

Polnareff hated himself for liking it. When did he become so desperate?

With a stiff yawn, Joseph gets up. "I'm going to the bathroom," he says.

Polnareff knew where this was going. "Someone should go with you," he suggests. Their numbers are already dwindling and he wasn't too sure he could sit here with Avdol alone.

Joseph scoffed at him "What? No. Are you going to hold my hand while I take a shit? I'll be fine, it's right there." He turned and walked away. "If anything, I'll scream," he said.

And with that he disappeared, leaving the two crusaders alone. He didn't dare look at him, instead he watched the branches sway with the wind's rising speed. This was stupid, this whole situation was stupid, he was acting stupid. What was he doing acting like this? He couldn't even look the man in the eyes. The tension in the air quickly grew and he began to fidget. Should he sneak a peak at him, it wouldn't hurt to look. Discreetly, he tilted his head at an angle to catch a glimpse at the Egyptian.

And he was staring right back.

Polneraff's cheeks immediately turn a crimson red. He tilted his head back trying to clear his panicking head. This isn't what was supposed to happen, he wasn't supposed to go to Egypt to fight DIO, all he wanted was to avenge his sister but instead he ends up crushing on a man who clearly isn't interested. He hated it, it was a distraction that he didn't anticipate and he didn't need a distraction right now, he's had enough of those to last him a lifetime. He needed to clear his mind and remind himself his purpose.

So he thought of Sherry.

He's been thinking about her a lot lately. Before, the thought of her would send him spiraling into guilt and despair so deep, so deafening it was too much to bear, he would let the alcohol take the pain away. It was too painful to think about her, instead he did everything in his power not to. But now, even if it hurt, he let himself enjoy her memory, something he hadn't done before, something he wished he had done more of. He remembers the first time she had gone to school, he was called shortly after dropping her off to take her home. He was greeted with a snot-filled, teary eyed Sherry at the gates of the institution, the teacher was wearing a polite smile that hid her annoyance. They had gone wildflower picking after that whole fiasco and Polneraff had successfully convinced his sister that school was cool by the time they reached their memories flutter in his mind, Sherry waking him up in the morning to go to work, Sherry complaining that he had used all the hot water, Sherry laughing at his new haircut then soothing his hurt ego when it offended him, Sherry's smile when he had bought her that dress she wanted for her birthday. Memories like those hurt with an intensity so sharp it would have him kneeling over from pain, but he couldn't focus on that, he needed to compose himself for her. He needed to avenge her.

The rumble of thunder vibrated in the air. He wondered why the girls were taking so long. They should be back soon if they don't want to get caught in the rain. He tried looking out the window to see if he could catch their figures in the distance but he couldn't see anything in the dark grey light of the sky.

"You shouldn't worry about them too much, they're more than capable," Avdol said. Polnareff's attention snapped back to the Egyptian. His eyes creased with worry at the french man.

Polnareff rubbed the back of his head in frustration. "I know, I know. Old habits die hard. It's just that they're young and they're girls that don't know how bad the world really is. I'm not saying they aren't strong, but I can't help but worry." His voice grew louder and louder as his panic made itself visible in the words that tumbled out of him. He took a deep breath. "The world is so unfair Avdol, we are older we know how the world works but them, they barely got started and they're going on a possibly fatal mission." He took another breath. why did he feel like he was unravelling in front of him? That's the last thing he would ever want to show the dark skinned man. He blamed it on the stress of the situation, it was eating him alive, not knowing where the next attack could come from, not knowing how to prevent it. He slumped into his seat.

"I understand that the situation is unfair. They are kids, they shouldn't be dragged into this, but they were tangled in the web of destiny, there isn't anything we could do. We can only hope for the best and expect the worse." He gave Polneraff a look of understanding, telling him that he too was worried for the girls safety, that Polneraff isn't being dramatic. "I trust them Pol, I trust in their ability. They made it this far, I saw what they could do." A warm, uncertain smile pulled at his lips. "We should believe in them and if anything I will always be there to protect them. But don't tell them I said that," he said, laughing quietly.

Polneraff joined him, a quick breathless laugh. "They're both so stubborn in their own way," he said, wiping the tear that threatened to fall. There was nothing particularly funny about what he said but it was nice to laugh, it broke the tension of stress they've been placed under. "They remind me of my sister. She was just as stubborn, maybe even more!"

Avdol smiled. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, she was a smart ass when she needed to be. Always getting her way." A memory of her holding him hostage in her room popped into his head. She had heard that he had liked the baker's daughter from her friend at school and she was very upset that he hadn't told her first. "I'm your sister Pol you're supposed to tell me first" he hadn't expected her to be that mad. "THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T TELL YOU!" he screamed after her. He smiled at the memory of better days. "She would be about their age now," he said, barely a whisper.

There was a pause before Avdol spoke " You know I have a younger sister too. She's not the same age as them but she's just as strong willed, definitely much stronger than I am, don't let her quiet personality fool you." The tenderness in his eyes was one of a proud brother, an expression he knew all too well. Polnareff's heart yearned, he knew that the more he spent time with him the more his feelings would grow and consume him.

"Does she do readings like you?" He asked, trying to distract himself from his own emotions.

He laughed as if he said something funny. "No" he says after calming down. "She hates it. I tried teaching her once but she ended up getting frustrated and she never wanted to associate with it again. A shame if you ask me, she has the gift for it and is quite perceptive. She's pursuing her passion in theater as a writer and actress."

"The gift?"

"It's like intuition. Some people have strong intuitions some don't. People that have very strong intuitions are able to predict the future"

"So you can see the future?!"

"Not necessarily, seeing and predicting are two different things. If the world is made of infinite possibilities I can make them finite but that still leaves us with so many. Usually I prefer to work with people than go around predicting the future, it's more solid and grounding."

"Helping people? How do you do that?"

He paused, thinking about it for a minute "it's like mystic therapy, that's the best way I could explain it, I could tell if something is affecting you by looking at the colors of your aura."

Now Polnareff was really interested "You could read my aura? What is it telling you?"

He paused, calculating his answer. His eyes bore into Polnareff's, exposing him to his knowing gaze. Polnareff began to shift uncomfortably at his stare. After an eternity Avdol looked away, choosing to stare at the window instead. He was quiet.

"You're hurt" he whispers "I fear that you would make rash decisions because of it."

Silence descends upon them, one charged with fragility of the present. He didn't want to think about it. Instead he asks " and you could see that from looking at my aura?"

"I don't need to see when it's so clear"

The tension broke. Polnareff could feel his blood rushing to his face. It was obvious from Avdol's words that he pitied him. He didn't need this right now, everything was going well for him before this discussion came along, he didn't need a reminder of how incompetent and pitiful he was. He just needed to make it to Calcutta, then this would be all over. He folded his arms and turned towards the window letting their conversation end. He let the silence take over. The jitters in his body, the sweet expectancy, was gone with the tide of hurt.

They stay like that for what feels like hours, maybe even days. They would have stayed like that if it weren't for the pocket book that Joseph left on the chair.

"Avdol…" the French man's face began to pale at the thoughts that were running in his head. The Egyptian turned towards him, surprised that the silence was broken but immediately caught on when he saw Polnareff's face.

"Where's Joseph?"

The dark grey clouds swirled around them barricading the sun from them. Kakyoin let herself enjoy the moment before breaking it.

"Maybe we should start getting back, it looks like it'll rain any moment now" she said reluctantly to Jotaro.

Jotaro turned towards her, her face covered mostly by the cap on her head. But she could tell by her body language that she had agreed with what she said. It was getting much easier to understand Jotaro, she only had to understand the subtle hints of her body language, they were small but they were still there.

Suddenly, the first stream of lightning cast down, so power and swift it shook both girls from where they stood. Jotaro turned to examine the distance in which it struck only to turn back and find Kakyoin missing.